He Lays in the Reins
by Gater101
Summary: AU/AH. Max and Liz have an unconventional relationship from high school. He moves to LA to pursue a career in acting, she moves to Boston to fulfil her dreams. When life tears her apart, can Max's years of love hold them together?
1. Chapter 1

Title: He Lays in the Reins  
Summary: Because that's what friends do, right?  
Characters: TeamLiz, TeamMax, plus some OC's  
Pairing: Liz/Max, Michael/Maria, Liz/OC, Max/OC  
Rating: Uh... R-NC17

Part One  
**March, 2006**

He felt numb, sitting in the chair opposite her and he didn't even want to try and comprehend what it was that _she _was going through. When she'd burst through the doors to the accident and emergency, he'd been the first to stand – the first to try and comfort her but she had shrugged him off (it had stung, he would admit it) and demanded answers. They didn't have any; the doctors hadn't given them any. She'd stomped and fumed and they had both tried to calm her but there had been no way to console her.

Then the doctors had come out, their faces grim and she'd slumped into her seat and didn't say anything. She still hadn't said anything let alone moved. He'd tried to talk to her but she had just stared at a spot on the floor to something he knew he wouldn't see if he looked. Neither of them had tried to approach her after that; she sat there, silent and immovable, a huge shield around her that warned everyone to keep the fuck away.

Maria had come in but Liz hadn't budged – hadn't even acknowledged her presence. Maria didn't take it to heart; she knew Liz. Just like they all did.

Jeff hadn't made it; they were still waiting on news about Nancy but, the doctor had told them, the prognosis wasn't good. It was just a waiting game now, willing the seconds to tick by but wishing that time would turn back. Beside him, Kyle shifted and Maria tucked closer to Alex but he stayed calm, ready to move to her when she finally broke down. He'd rather listen to her rant and rave and stomp her feet than the silence. It was excruciating, it was painful to watch. As the minutes ticked by, he could see her draw further into herself – preparing herself.

Four hours passed, five and on the sixth the doctor came to them, a nurse by his side. His face was grimmer than before and Maria let out a shriek, curling further into Alex, bubbling. Liz didn't move; didn't acknowledge what the doctor had said. They all nodded, and the doctor wanted to know if they could harvest their organs. Only Liz could decide but when the doctor turned to her, she didn't even blink.

So Greg took the sheets from the doctor with a tight, tired smile and held them in front of Liz, breaking through her invisible barrier. Her eyes focussed only long enough to take in the white sheets, the pen. She nodded curtly, not blinking, before zoning out again. She didn't sign but the doctors had what they nodded. The doctor – an older, gentle faced man – placed his hand on her shoulder and she flinched under his touch; his eyes crinkled at the edges and he pursed his lips but didn't linger.

Greg moved to sit beside her but her whole body tensed and he caught Maria's eye and she shook her head. _Just give her time_. Greg nodded, feeling hopeless and useless, sitting back beside Kyle. He'd never thought – not once – that he'd be sitting amicably beside the guy who he was sure wanted Liz for himself despite his relationship with Serena, both of them grieving for Liz's pain. Ever since Greg and Liz had started dating, Kyle had been around her, talking in her ear, and while Liz claimed they were just friends Greg wasn't as naive as Liz seemed to be when it came to Kyle. They didn't say anything to one another but as soon as they had walked in the doors of the ER they'd made a silent agreement that they would let it the fuck go – for Liz. For now.

Greg slouched further into the seat, waiting. Waiting for Liz to react. Waiting for the tears to come. Waiting for the chance to get close to her. Waiting to take her home. It didn't come but they still waited. One hour turned into two and Alex and Maria left, whispering words to Liz that they all knew she wouldn't hear.

And then there were three.

"I'm going to get some coffee," Kyle said as he rose slowly and Greg winced when he heard a pop come from his knees. "Want some?" Greg nodded and told him how he liked it. "Don't fucking move," Kyle said harshly from the doorway and Greg rolled his eyes, knowing that their truce wouldn't last long after all of this.

Once the door was closed, Greg tried again.

"Bella?" He said quietly, hoping that now they were alone she would look at him. She didn't and he sighed, leaning back in his chair. He wanted to reach out and touch her, comfort her in some way but he knew she wouldn't appreciate it. But he would stay here for her, for when she needed him and she would – at some point. Kyle came back ten minutes later and sat beside him, sliding the warm coffee into his hands, the unasked question in his eyes. "No," Greg said quietly.

Another group of people came into the room, tears streaming, talk quick and loud and restless. Liz didn't even blink. She didn't seem to be breathing and if he didn't know for sure that she was flesh and blood he would be convinced she was carved out of stone. He rubbed a tired hand over his eyes and settled in.

Another hour passed and just as the fourth was winding to its end, Liz straightened up, her breath hitching in her throat and her head turned almost imperceptibly towards the door. He sat up – as did Kyle – and prayed that this was it, that she was finally reacting. But she remained frozen in her new position, almost anticipatory and Greg frowned.

The door burst open and Liz flew to her feet before she even turned around. In a flurry of activity, arms appeared around her back and the distinct sound of her sob broke through moments later. Greg stood up, ready to react – negatively, of course – when Max Evan's eyes rose to meet his. He felt his heart beat slow slightly before Max tucked his head into Liz's neck, ducking down his tall frame to do it. Her sobs were painful, reverberating around the room but Max's solemn words seemed to filter over the din. Out of the corner of his eye, Greg saw Kyle stand and clench his fist, scowling at the new arrival. Greg was just grateful someone had managed to get a reaction from her.

"I've got you now, sweetheart," Max said, soothingly. He pulled back from their embrace and cupped her head between his hands, smoothing over her hair. It was an intimate gesture but Greg couldn't bring himself to be jealous; Liz needed someone. "I saw the Volvo out front, do you have the keys?" Liz nodded and Max smiled, nodding as he wrapped an arm around her waist while reaching behind her for her purse. "I'm going to take you home, okay?"

Liz nodded and Greg heard the first word out of her mouth for over nine hours.

"Okay."

Then they were gone and Greg sat back down heavily, staring at his hands before dropping his head into his upturned palms. Kyle stood above him, his fists still clenched but Greg just didn't have it in him to say anything to him.

Kyle broke the silence just a few seconds later.

"What the hell just happened?"

--

The ride in the car was quiet but Max kept his hand in Liz's the whole time. The Volvo sped along the slick Boston streets easily, the wipers slicing through the thick slush that fell from the sky before it had a chance to gather on the windshield. He turned to her every few minutes to make sure she was still breathing, she was so quiet. She would catch his eye and another tear would slip over and he'd smile sadly, bringing her hand to his lips and placing a kiss there before turning back to the road.

They didn't need another car crash tonight.

At his rarely used apartment, he slid into the underground parking lot and killed the engine. Neither of them made any move to get out of the car and Max was both grateful and worried. He remembered how Liz had gotten when her grandma Claudia had died, back in high school; he knew this was so much worse than that. Both of her parents, dead.

He closed his eyes and bit his lip.

He couldn't imagine that pain; wasn't sure he really wanted to but he knew that if she asked, he wouldn't hesitate to try and take it from her.

"You were filming," she said suddenly, her voice almost flat and he turned to her, expressionless before he watched her glance down his body to the tight shirt underneath the short grey jacket and to the tight black jeans. It wasn't that he didn't normally dress well; he just didn't normally dress _this _well. Add to the fact he probably had make up melting off his face from his six hour flight. He simply smiled and reached out to touch her face.

"I'll always come for you."

She closed her eyes and bit her lip and when she opened her eyes, they were endless depths of black. He had to bite back a groan, settling for a quick smirk instead.

"You always do." Her voice was thick and doing very, very bad things to him in his tight trousers. He shifted and she licked her lips, her eyes raking over him again. "Max..." She said lowly, almost pleading – desperate almost. She turned away from him, to look at the grey wall in front of the car and he tugged on her hand until she turned to look at him.

"What, sweetheart?"

She licked her lips and Max stared into her eyes as she blinked up to him slowly, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, the fluorescent lights making it seem dull. Or that could be the fact she spent the last who knows how many hours in a hospital room waiting for word on whether or not her parents would live.

"Make me stop thinking."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and she moved with him, sliding over his waist as he slid the seat back as far as it would go. Her lips were on his, soft, slow and sensual and his hands lingered on her waist before he reached up to her hair, wrapping his fingers in it as he pushed her further into him. She sucked his bottom lip in between her lips and he moaned, his body reacting to her instantly.

"I don't want to think tonight, Max," she said breathily as his lips slid over her neck, his hands tugging her head further back to give him better access. She moaned, a strangled sound escaping her throat and he smirked against her skin as she jerked her hips into his. He ghosted his hands against the sides of her breasts and when she pushed her body further into his he could feel her hard nipples through the layers of their clothing. He growled at the contact and slid his tongue into her mouth. Her thin, trembling fingers found the buttons on his shirt and she took her time unbuttoning them, her nails grazing his skin, causing him to hiss.

"What about-" He began but it was a half-protestation at best, as his fingers continued to tease her skin, and she cut him off with her lips on his and he acquiesced. It had never mattered before; this is what they did, right? Friends, helping each other out?

He didn't linger on it much longer as she made a high-pitched keening sound as his lips latched onto the spot just below her ear. She arched into him, causing much desired friction. He gripped her hips, guiding her motions and she bit down on his collar bone. Fuck, she was hot.

He reached for the edge of her mid length skirt and skimmed his hands up when suddenly he came into contact with skin. He stopped, pulling back from her and met her eyes before looking down as his fingers continued to fiddle at the bridge between nylon and skin. He was sure he looked ridiculous, his eyes wide, mouth open but he reached down to her skin and pulled it up almost coming right there and then at the sight of her pull ups. _She wore this shit to work?_

For the love of all that is holy...

He growled and he smiled down to him, pulling his lips back to hers. His fingers rose higher on her thighs and he knew before he even touched her that she was ready for him; she was so fucking warm and wet that he could feel how much she wanted him from inches away. He traced his finger of the lace of her panties and she squirmed. He grinned against her lips, loving the way she arched her body further into his. He used his free hand to pull her up against his body while his other hand slid her panties aside.

"_Fuck..._" he murmured as his knuckles grazed her wet warmth and his eyes fluttered shut. He felt her move and his fingers followed, his index finger sliding into her easily and they both hissed. He felt something at his lips and he opened his mouth, moaning loudly when he felt her nipple against his tongue. He lavished it and bit down, adding another finger into her.

"Oh God, Max..." Her hands were on his zipper and she was yanking and pulling and suddenly her hands were on him and oh fuck she was amazingly good at this. He arched under her as she arched into him, perfect synchronisation. He bit the lip that was between his teeth, soothing it instantly with his tongue. She moaned above him before drawing herself up and he quickly moved his fingers aside when she lined his cock up with her slick entrance. She opened her eyes and he stared into them as she slid down on him.

_Holy mother of..._

She moved slowly, leaning her head back as she bobbed above him and he slung an arm loosely around her waist; she needed no guidance from him.

He would never admit it to anyone if they asked – like they ever would – but they finished quickly, she coming down on him so hard and fast that he couldn't help but follow her in her desperate plea to be free from the pain.

As they lay panting, the windows of the car steamed over, Max ran his hands up and down her back as she pressed her face into his neck, breathing her warm scent over his shoulder. She ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and he shivered.

She pulled back from him at that, her eyes focussing on his chest. He slid his hands up and over her shoulder, up her neck and she shuddered. He cradled her head in his hands, like he had at the hospital and pulled her forehead down to rest on his. She met his eyes and the tears leaked over again.

"My parents are dead."

Max nodded, biting his lip. He moved his thumb up and down across her cheek and she took a breath, trying to compose herself.

"They are, sweetheart." She closed her eyes and tears streamed down her face, clinging to her eyelashes and he wanted to kick himself for finding beauty in her pain. He didn't wipe the tears away straight away, focussing instead of tucking her back into her clothes before turning his attention to himself. She leaned against his shoulder again and cried, heaving sobs racking her body and he crushed her to him. "I got you," he murmured, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. "I got you." He rested his cheek against her temple, stroking her hair and back and legs sporadically, wishing their close contact could draw her pain into him.

Innumerable minutes later she pulled back, stroking her fingers down his cheek and smiled tentatively, her eyes still watery and he placed a chaste kiss on her chin.

"I don't want to have to think tonight, Max."

He manoeuvred them out of the car and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her head buried in the crook of his neck. He ignored the stares of the night watchman and the guy in the elevator; they should be used to scenes like this by now. He stroked her back, his fingers trailing up and down her spine and he concentrated on the numbers rolling above the door to stop the tears spilling over.

In his apartment, she refused to part with him and he led her to his bedroom, laying her on her side on his mattress. She sniffed when he moved away from her, reaching out to him.

"Don't go," she said and her voice broke. He stopped, turning back to her and touched her face with his fingers. "I don't want anyone else to leave me," she murmured and Max dropped to his knees at the side of the bed. He watched her as she watched him, running his thumb across her hairline. He smiled slowly, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm going to go get us both a drink then I'll be right back, okay?"

She nodded reluctantly and he smiled, standing up. As he left, her sobs broke through the silence of the apartment and he staggered against the wall at the sound, barely managing to pull himself together enough to pull two bottles of water from the fridge. They'd known one another almost all of their lives, despite the fact they only really became good friends in senior year. He knew her; he knew her family and it killed him that she was in pain, that they were dead.

He stopped in the doorway, watching as she curled in on herself, her arms around her stomach and she sobbed painfully.

"I don't want to think anymore tonight, Max," she said weakly and he nodded, conceding.

He moved to the bed, setting the bottles on the side table and moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her body and tucked her into him.

This is what they did.


	2. Chapter 2

Max hated that he'd been brought back to Roswell for this. He hadn't set foot in Roswell for almost five years and now that he had, he felt the small town atmosphere clog up his airways more efficiently than Hollywood's smog ever could. He glanced over to Liz as she leaned against the window of Max's rented Toyota – no need to get all flashy to drive around Roswell – staring out at the world they had left behind when they left for college eight years ago. The desert flashed by and the light reflected off of cars out in the hills but Max paid it little mind.

"Have you got a lot to take care of here?" Max asked as the long roads turned into winding suburban lanes and Max took the familiar twists and turns with ease.

"I don't know. Mom and dad seemed to have things set in order, your dad took care of pretty much everything."

Max's father was the town lawyer and Max wasn't surprised to learn that Liz's family had gone to his dad for their legal advice. Call it conceited but Max knew his dad was the best the town had to offer. But still, it was odd to think of his dad taking care of Liz's family's business. He sighed and looked over to her.

"You going to stay around here for a while?"

She shrugged again and looked over to Max, smiling tightly as her eyes glimmered in the light with unshed tears. He smiled tentatively at her then turned back to the road in front of them.

"I don't... There's no one here for me to stick around for." She shrugged and Max felt a pang. He reached over his hand and squeezed her fingers. She smiled again, the gesture not reaching her eyes before she withdrew her hand and ran her fingers through her hair. "It's hot as hell here," she murmured as she lifted her hair off her neck and Max turned to her with a half grin.

"That's Roswell for you."

Liz rolled her eyes.

"I think I prefer Boston's winters to this heat, it's ridiculous." Max turned to her lifted an amused eyebrow but she rolled her eyes and looked away, swatting his leg lightly. "Maybe not," she said after a moment and Max caught the tone of her voice. He looked over to her and her eyes were focussed on her hands. "Maybe I should stay here," she said but Max didn't respond. "I don't think I'll be able to drive in the ice again after... what happened," she continued and Max let out a sigh.

"Yeah," he murmured, not knowing what else to say to comfort his friend. They pulled into Max's parents' street and saw it lined with cars, groups of people milling around the lawns, all in black. It seemed like the whole town had turned out for the Parker's memorial service and when Max chanced a glance to Liz once again, he could see she shared the same dismal sentiments as him. No wonder they'd gotten out of there as soon as they could. He pulled up as close to his parent's house as he could, sliding in behind a beat up Chevy and killed the engine. People turned to the car, some lifting their hands to their mouths when they realised who was in the car and others simply looked away. Max was grateful to those who did. He looked over to Liz. "You ready?"

She didn't respond with words but opened the door and stepped out. Even from the driver seat Max could feel the searing, dry heat hit him. He sat in the car for a moment, debating whether or not this was a good idea. He hadn't been home for five years for a very good reason. Ever since he'd started acting and became somewhat more famous than Roswell had ever thought he would, it had been weird to come home to his family. He could see swarms of people around Liz and he closed his eyes. She needed him; wasn't that why he was here? He sighed as he opened his door, drawing in a breath that scorched his throat and nose and closed his eyes as they dried out instantly. He'd never get used to this heat again. Sure, California was warm but it was nothing compared to this.

A few people stared at him as he strode towards his former home and he nodded to a few familiar faces, stopping to speak to a few and exchange condolences. He'd lost sight of Liz as soon as he exited the car so he made towards the front door of his house, relishing in the slightly cooler temperatures of the inside of his childhood home. The hallways and rooms were at full capacity and Max decided to forego the lounge area and made his way to the overcrowded kitchen, searching for a cool drink.

"Well if it isn't Maxwell Evans, deciding to drag his sorry ass home after all these years," a voice said from behind him as he stood in front of the fridge. He ignored Kyle – just like he had at the hospital – and reached in and pulled out a bottle of water. "What, too good to say hi?"

Max turned around and smiled to Kyle, deciding not to get into this at Liz's parent's funeral. If anything, it would give her another reason to despise Kyle but Max wasn't in the mood to draw anymore attention to himself than his presence already offered.

"Kyle," he said by way of greeting and dismissal but Kyle simply rolled his eyes and made a noise in the back of his throat.

"Evans, what are you doing here?"

Max's eyes slid passed his shoulders and settled on Liz. From his peripheral vision, he could see Kyle turn to see what he was looking at before his eyes snapped back to Max's, his stance suddenly defensive.

"Liz asked me to be here."

Max turned back to Kyle when Liz disappeared into another group of people and Kyle glared at him.

"Since when are you and Liz friends?"

Max let out a short, low laugh and rolled his eyes before brushing by Kyle as he spied his mother on the other side of the room. He didn't need to answer Kyle's questions; he was nothing to Max, always had been.

"Mom," Max said in greeting as he wrapped his arms around his mother's slight frame. Diane Evans was slight, with big blond hair that seemed to never be tame in the Roswell heat and as Max dipped his cheek to press against it, he remembered why dry air and hair didn't get on well. Still, he loved his adoptive mother and when she lamented over how long it had been since she had seen him, he instantly felt guilty for staying away for too long. "You all right?" He asked of his mother when he saw her red rimmed eyes. The Parker's and Evans' had been friendly, Max knew.

"I just spoke with Liz," Diane elaborated as her chin wobbled again and Max pulled her in for another hug. "She's such a strong girl," she continued and Max nodded.

"She sure is," he murmured as his eyes sought of the topic of their conversation. She was in the lounge, surrounded by pawing grievers but she looked relatively comfortable. Kyle was hovering in her vicinity, ready to pounce should Liz falter and Max rolled his eyes. Kyle was relentless, always had been.

"Jeff and Nancy were such good people," Diane murmured, shaking her head and Max smiled tightly, looking down to his mom. He'd really only really gotten to know Liz in senior year and hadn't had the chance to formally meet her parents. Sure, he'd ate at the Crash and saw them there all the time and they knew who he was but there had never been a reason for a formal introduction. But they'd raised Liz and they'd raised her well; that was enough for him. "I forget sometimes that you and Liz are friends," his mom continued and Max smiled down to her.

"Yeah but we _have_ been out of this town for years now, mom," Max replied, smiling again. He really had missed his mother.

"Kyle told me she went out to Los Angeles with you," his mother continued as they moved around the room, Diane removing covers from plates (and plates and plates) of food, smiling amiably to others as they hovered around the different rooms.

Max shrugged.

"She didn't want to be alone and wouldn't let me stay with her in Cambridge," he lifted a cool sausage roll and popped it in his mouth, wincing at the taste. "It did her good to get some sun for a couple of days."

Diane tutted.

"She could have come here."

Max rolled his eyes and nudged her in the side and pointed to Liz trying to squeeze out of a group of older men, all red faced and friendly.

"Those vultures wouldn't have left her alone. She didn't need that." Diane conceded with a nod and Max watched as Liz was cornered by Kyle. He smirked sympathetically over to her but she didn't see him.

"Are you here for long?" Diane looked hopeful and again Max winced.

"I'm in the middle of filming, mom," he said lowly, hoping no one else around would hear. A few heads turned infinitesimally towards them and he lowered his voice again. "I have to get back tomorrow night," he informed her and watched as her face fell.

She was silent for a few minutes before she turned away from him, even as she gripped his forearm between her dainty hands.

"It's good that you're here for your friend," she said and moved off. Max couldn't help but feel that his mother was jealous.

--

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Max said as he cradled the bottle of beer in his fist, his feet dangling in the air. He turned back to the balcony, to where Liz lay curled up on one of the loungers she'd pulled out of the house. They'd finally made it to the CrashDown and Liz had refused to go in the front door, insisting they climb the ladders that led to the balcony outside of her old room. He remembered doing just that once or twice in senior year but he'd never thought for a second he'd ever do it again. Max knew Liz wasn't dealing with her parents death; she had left the estate in his dad's hands, had escaped away from the Cambridge news reports by following him to L.A., and had avoided going into the main part of her parents flat above the Crash. It pained him to witness, but he also understood.

This was just how she dealt with this.

"I guess," she mumbled and tucked the blanket higher up on her shoulder. He swung his body around and hunched forward, snorting when she glared at him. "Don't move so fast when you're sitting on the edge of a thirty foot drop," she muttered, closing her eyes when he smiled back at her. "I don't want your manager suing me for damages."

"I do stunt jumps from higher than this," he informs her lightly and she smiles in response. She looks exhausted; dark circles formed under her eyes days ago and had only gotten darker as she'd refused to sleep. She'd barely eaten and he hated to think of when last had a shower that was longer than three minutes; her hair, though clean, was matted from lack of styling and her face was blotchy from the sun.

Still, she was beautiful. He didn't think she knew how _not_ to be. It was part of the reason why he couldn't ever say no to her.

"Max?" He looked up to her and made a soft noise in the back of his throat to let her know he'd heard her. "Do you remember the first time you were up here?"

Did he ever? The images and sensations had been seared in his brain for all eternity; he'd taken her up against the wall, hard and fast just like she'd begged him to. Her grandmother had just died and, like the other night, she hadn't wanted to think. Lost in the memory, he could still feel her walls clamping down around him, the feel of the bricks on the wall biting into his palm as he thrust into her harder and harder. Her back had bled from the scratches and he'd helped clean her up afterwards, guiltily, but she'd assured him then that it had been worth it. And oh God, how could he contradict that when he'd had what had been the best orgasm of his life at that point.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," she said, amused and Max smiled.

"Yeah, I have a vague recollection," he teased and hopped off the small wall, walking towards her. He sat on the lounge chair opposite her and reached out with his hand and brushed the strands of hair from her face. She peered up at him from her lounging position, her fingers gripping the top of the blanket like it was life force. "Why?"

She stared up at him for a long time, her darkening eyes making Max's groin tighten in anticipation. She gulped and Max mirrored the motion, watching as her eyes fell to his lips.

"Care to re-enact it, since your memory of that night seems to be fading?"

An hour later, Max was patching up the long scratches on her back, reliving the fresh images of the best orgasm he'd ever had.


	3. Chapter 3

_When all your plans are made out lying on the floor  
and all your dreams are turning into nothing more  
When all your hope has left you know you're not alone_

**High School – **_**April 2001 (L17, M17)**_

Liz's timetable had been a blessing this semester; while she didn't have the same classes as Maria – the science types and the artsy types tend not to make the same choices – she did have the same lunch period as her and Alex. The only downside of that, however, was that she had the same lunch period as Kyle Valenti. Which was why she was expertly crouching her way along the wall to the door of the biology lab in an attempt to avoid him. She had told Maria at the time that it would be a bad idea for her to go out with one date – even a 'pity date', as Maria had called it – with him. It hadn't been good, she hadn't had fun but she was pretty sure it was enough to stave off any lingering desire to date any of the boys in her school year, ever.

She let out a relieved sigh when the door clicked shut behind her and she watched from the darkened room as Kyle Valenti sauntered on past, the look of confusion fixed on his face. With a sigh, she thumped her head against the wall and slid down it until her backpack hit the floor. She dropped her head into her upturned palms and shook her head. What age was she? _Twelve_? Since when was it appropriate to hide from people in the bio lab?

She groaned and shook her head some more, wondering why she insisted on doing this to herself but a low chortle of laughter broke her out of her reverie. She snapped her head up, pushing off the floor so fast she almost tripped over thin air and whipped her head around until she saw the source of the noise.

"That's what you get for going on a date with Kyle Valenti."

Liz narrowed her eyes. Max Evans: a jock but not usually a jerk was propped up against the workbench at the back, swinging back on his chair so it rested on two legs.

"What are you doing in here?" She half-snapped at him. Despite the fact that she and Max had had pretty much the same classes since they first started going to school, they weren't exactly what was commonly called friends. They acknowledged one another's presence every now and again and sometimes when they were paired up in AP Biology, they would hold a conversation about the school rumour mill. The school rumour mill had obviously been talking about her and Kyle going out the previous weekend.

"Lunch hall's too crowded," he responded and she couldn't help but detect the despondent tone of his voice. She took a step towards him and caught sight of the crutches leaning against the table he was swinging from. He caught her staring and he shrugged, though she could sense the disappointment leaking from him in waves, even through the darkness. "That's the end to my sports career," he said numbly and Liz winced.

"I heard about that this morning..." She began but trailed off and met his gaze. "I didn't realise it was you, though." He shrugged again and Liz winced. She'd heard about the absolute disaster that had been the game on Saturday night; the injury that would no doubt end the player's football career. She hadn't thought much about it at the time, other than a passing thought of sympathy for whoever it was and she wasn't entirely sure why it was bothering her now that she hadn't paid better attention. "What happened?"

He sniffed and Liz looked up again to meet his eyes but he wasn't looking at her.

"Defensive end who didn't know his own strength," he went on with a wince and Liz nodded, wincing with him. She moved closer to him, stopping at the bench in front of him and pushed herself up onto the table top, resting her feet on one of the stools. He eyed her sceptically and Liz wondered if maybe she should just leave but he kept talking, so she stayed. "Cruciate ligament tear," he went on and Liz looked to his legs wondering where the cruciate ligament was. "My knee," he said and she could hear the amusement in his voice. She looked up, smiling sheepishly but he simply shrugged and looked away. "It's nice not having someone console me when I tell them."

She snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad my naivety amuses you, Max," she said with a half smile.

There was a long pause and Liz wondered if maybe now was her time to leave. She shifted slightly and Max looked up to her again, a small frown on his face.

"I thought you would know that, though," he said with a shrug and Liz pushed back onto the bench, frowning down at him. "You want to do biology, right?"

Liz let out a laugh at that and shook her head.

"Bio research, not medicine."

She thought she saw a flush on his cheeks but in the darkness she couldn't be sure.

"Oh." The silence stretched on and Liz thought again about leaving but was strangely reluctant to go. She had thought the silences would be awkward and she was pleasantly surprised when they weren't; not like Friday night with Kyle. She shuddered and the movement didn't go unnoticed by Max, who chuckled. "Since it's stiflingly hot in here, I can only gather that you're thinking about Friday night and since it was a shudder rather than a shiver, I guess it's safe to assume that you'll not be seeing Kyle again?"

Liz frowned over to Max with a scowl, which seemed to amuse him and she found herself letting out a breathy resemblance of a laugh.

"Yeah, I don't think so. He's not exactly..." She trailed off and motioned with her hands, hoping that Max would pick up on what she was leaving unsaid. When he snorted, she knew he did.

"I could have told you that. The guy is as dull as the gray paint on the wall over there," he said with a nod towards the poster covered wall and Liz tried to hide her amusement.

"Do you need anything?" She said as she hopped down onto the floor again, feeling the phone in her pocket vibrating. She needn't check it, she knew it would be Maria wondering where she was. "Or are you going to hide out in here until someone discovers your hiding hole?"

Max's grin didn't reach his eyes but Liz didn't dwell on it.

"It's just easier in here right now." Liz frowned at him. "I don't know how many times I've been asked 'what are you going to do now?'." He huffed and Liz felt that pang of sympathy again. "Like I have the answer to that after three days."

"You could always go into modelling."

She flushed as soon as the words were out and Max barked out a laugh, while he quietly shook his head.

"Too shy."

Liz snorted.

"Right."

He raised an eyebrow at her tone and Liz tried to soften it with a smile. She walked back over to the door and picked up her bag, rummaging through it as she set it on the desk. She pulled out the small lunch box she'd picked up at her locker and pulled out the roll that she'd made earlier in the day. She walked to the back of the room, Max's eyes following her every movement, and laid the sandwich on the table in front of him. She heard the dull thud as his chair settled back on four legs.

"Liz what..."

"Just take it," she said as she began walking away. She stopped when she felt his hand on her wrist and she felt her pulse pick up the pace at the contact. She looked to their hands for a moment then up to his face, to his small grateful smile and she felt her shoulders relax slightly.

"Thank you," he said softly, quietly and Liz couldn't stop the smile that took over her lips.

"It's no bother."

When she left the room, lunch period was almost over.


End file.
